Gyeonggi Province Issues 'Malaria Alert' for Yeoncheon County on the 9th

Following Paju, Gimpo, and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province issued a malaria alert for Yeoncheon County on the 9th.

A malaria alert is issued to prevent community-wide outbreaks when the first cluster case occurs after a nationwide malaria caution is declared, or when the average daily population of mosquitoes in the same city or county exceeds 5.0 for two consecutive weeks.

This alert comes as the first cluster case has occurred in Yeoncheon County following the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's nationwide malaria caution issued on June 22. A cluster case refers to a situation where the symptom onset interval between two or more patients is within 14 days and the residential distance is within 1 km in a malaria risk area.

In Gyeonggi Province, the first malaria alert of this year was issued for Paju City on July 9, followed by alerts for Gimpo City on August 3 and Goyang City on August 21.

For early detection of additional cases in Yeoncheon County, intensive promotion will be conducted through local medical associations and pharmacies, and residents and visitors to the county will be informed of infection risks through emergency texts and media outlets. Additionally, intensive quarantine efforts around patients and mosquito habitats, rapid diagnostic testing for early detection, and provision of preventive medicines are being actively implemented in accordance with the alert issuance.

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Infectious Disease Portal (dportal.kdca.go.kr), a total of 295 malaria cases have been reported as of September 9 this year. Gyeonggi Province accounts for 163 cases, representing approximately 55% of the nation.

Yoo Young-chul, director of Gyeonggi Province's Health and Welfare Bureau, urged, "In malaria risk areas, vector mosquito control must be strengthened and preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites must be observed," adding, "Residents and visitors to risk areas are advised to receive rapid tests at nearby health centers and medical institutions if malaria-suspected symptoms occur."